Sabres fire Don Granato, hire Lindy Ruff as head coach

[The Gr8 Dane]

Little late for that lmao

 

[DickSmehlik]

In his defense, the team was predicted by every sportsbook going into the season to miss out on the playoffs and they did just that.

Adams needs to do a lot more than just promote a couple of prospects from Rochester and hire a new coach.

 

[tsujimoto74]

At some stage something has got to stick right?

Probably the stage at which we hire a good coach.

(I do think Granato is an excellent developmental coach, but he wasn’t cutting it for a team that needs to start actually winning more games than we lose, and he shot himself in the foot by saddling himself with inexperienced assistants who ran our special teams into the ground.)

I wish Donny the best, but this absolutely needed to happen.

 

[Samsonite23]

Didn't you try that with Bylsma and Krueger?

Maybe Pegula will luck into something like he did with Beane and McDermott with the Bills. But, I'm not sure he's more likely to hit on a retread than an upcoming assistant.

Well, of the last 3 coaches Ralph was the only one with any NHL experience. And it was a single year. And he was also apparently the living embodiment of Freddy Krueger.

The other two were Phil Housley and Donny. We’ve been so bad for so long, an average coach is all anybody here can even hope for.

That being said, Donny is a great guy and good development coach. But he had glaring problems.

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

Axe had to fall somewhere. I don't follow the Sabres closely but they definitely hung around with the Canadiens at the bottom of the Atlantic for way too long this season.

 

[tsujimoto74]

In his defense, the team was predicted going into the season to miss out on the playoffs and they did just that.

Adams needs to do a lot more than just promote a couple of prospects and hire a new coach.

The team missed by 1 point last season and was expected to improve. They didn’t.

 

[BHD]

Adams has to go with a proven coach at this point.

 

[Warden of the North]

I don't even know what to say any more about Buffalo.

They traded Eichel. They fired a bunch of coaches. Nothing seems to be working.

 

[Chileiceman]

I have no rational basis for making this suggestion beyond a gut feeling, but I feel like Craig Berube would be a good fit for where the team is now

 

[M88K]

Crazy idea, but stick with me….

Why don’t we hire a coach with….any experience at all as an NHL head coach this time?

I know, I know. It sounds dumb. But ya never know, it could be crazy enough to work.

Is that Babcock's music I hear

 

[Darcy Tucker]

Make Craig Anderson your next coach. He can't get any balder.

 

[NyQuil]

 

[Treb]

Time for Pominville to follow in MSL's footstep.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Lot's of people with misinformed opinions and ideas in this thread.

With Granato who was in his 4th season with Buffalo so it wasn't a quick axe, he had time to show and prove, he failed to make any improvements over last year.

UPL has been one of the better goalies the last half of the season so goaltending complaints are weak.

Yes Kevyn Adams did absolutely nothing in the off season to bolster the current roster but the current roster should have improved over last year when they missed the playoffs by 1 point. This year, a lot of times they looked like they weren't prepared which showed by the huge 1st period goal differential.

 

[tarheelhockey]

In his defense, the team was predicted going into the season to miss out on the playoffs and they did just that.

Adams needs to do a lot more than just promote a couple of prospects and hire a new coach.

I remember a lot of people feeling that Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa would be gunning it out for the wild card spots. Only one of them is even in the race, and that by the skin of their teeth.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Is that Babcock's music I hear

Honestly, Babcock without the baggage is EXACTLY what a team needs to turn the ship around. But he is psycho, or a sociopath, so that sucks.

 

[Mattilaus]

Firing the coaches instead of getting a goalie, bold move Cotton.

UPL was a .910 this year. Goaltending was fine, good even.

 

[Ruok]

Jay woodcroft? Tmac? Whose all out there?

 

[Ace]

This thread is already fascinating

Jokes about Buffalo firing another coach already…when he was the sixth longest tenured coach in the league.

Jokes about goaltending…when UPL had a fantastic season.

can’t wait to see where we go next

 

[hangman005]

I don't even know what to say any more about Buffalo.

They traded Eichel. They fired a bunch of coaches. Nothing seems to be working.

I think it really shows how hard it is to break out of that "loser" mentality for lack of better term, it almost become self perpetuating. Not that I'm saying the Sabres are wanting or ok with losing now, but how hard it is to get out of it when it has been "okay"

 

[Panthaz89]

Every year the answer should be GM heading out instead others get the axe.

been riding that "one of the youngest teams" excuse for over a decade now its getting old ironically.

 

[BLNY]

Belichick is available.

 

[Jeune Poulet]

Ruff would be a nostalgia pick and the wrong choice.

They should look at guys like Berube and Gallant.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Firing the coaches instead of getting a goalie, bold move Cotton.

UPL is the least of this team’s problems. Another many uninformed takes in this thread.

 

[Fatass]

Crazy idea, but stick with me….

Why don’t we hire a coach with….any experience at all as an NHL head coach this time?

I know, I know. It sounds dumb. But ya never know, it could be crazy enough to work.

Is it the coaching or is it the core (top minute) guys have a lot of trouble making the needed changes to their games that lead the club to winning?